Wednesday 11th September 2024

 

Dear parents and carers of Stepney Park Primary School.

 

The children have made a really good start to the term and are very settled. I hope you have managed to attend the start of year parent meetings already, as they are a really good source of information.

 

Information about year group learning

We will be sending you several ‘leaflets of learning’ about your child’s year group this school year. We will start with English, and after this other subjects will follow. The leaflets will give you information about what your child will be (or has been learning), so that you can discuss their learning with them. Discussions will also help your child to continue to remember their learning. The leaflets will also give you details about the expected standard in each subject, which will be very helpful. 

 

New picking up arrangements 

Thank you for your patience and help with the new picking up arrangements. After a rocky start, new arrangements are now beginning to be well embedded and they will ensure that your child’s safety will be further enhanced.

 

Coats

The weather seems to be getting colder quite quickly this autumn, so please remember to send your child to school with a suitable coat, preferably one that is waterproof.

Free Breakfast Club

We operate a daily, free breakfast club from 8.00 am for children from Yr 1 to Yr 6. There currently are a number of spaces available and they are open to all children whether their parents need to use it for childcare or not. Please note that we would expect children to arrive no earlier than 8.00am and no later than 8.20am. Children who arrive during this time receive a healthy breakfast and have time to play with friends inside or outside. 

If you are interested, please sign up here:  https://forms.gle/a5Tb8oNbVCGeYjWZ8 

 

School Uniform

Please ensure that your child arrives at school wearing the correct uniform, details can be found on our website here. 

It is important to remember that tracksuit bottoms and leggings without skirts/ dresses are not allowed (other than for children in EYFS where needed).

 

PE kit

Please help your child to remember that they need to bring their PE kit to school on relevant days. Boys and girls in Yr 3 to Yr 6 will change into their PE kit in single gender groups at school.

Children should not wear their PE kit in the morning when they arrive, unless their PE lesson is at 9.00 am. Details of the PE kit can be found here.

 

Fines for unauthorised leave, holidays in term and lateness. 

Regular attendance and punctuality at school is essential if the pupils are to achieve their full potential. In partnership with Tower Hamlets Local Authority (LA), we will be implementing the Penalty Notice Scheme as required under statutory guidance issued by the Department for Education (DfE, 2024) in order to improve attendance and punctuality.

A Penalty Notice may only be issued in cases of unauthorised absence or lateness or where parents/carers fail to ensure that their child is not in a public place during the first five days of exclusion from school.

Penalty Notices apply on an individual child per parent basis. Therefore, a parent with 3 children who meet the criteria may receive 3 Penalty Notices. In a family with 2 parents/carers with three children who meet the criteria, each parent/carer may receive 3 Penalty Notices – meaning that a total of 6 Penalty Notices may be received. 

The issue of a Penalty Notice may be considered appropriate in any of the following circumstances:

• In instances of a pupil having 10 sessions (5 days) of unauthorised leave/holidays in term time. A session is a half-day and unauthorised means without the consent/authorisation of the school.

• Where parents/carers fail to attend without reasonable cause LA led In-School Attendance Panels, to which they have been invited to discuss their child’s unauthorised absences and/or leaves.

• In cases of pupils identified as having Persistent Absence (where the attendance of pupils falls below 90% in a period of 10 school weeks they are designated as having Persistent Absence) with 10 or more sessions of unauthorised absence and with substantial evidence of failure on the part of the parent/carer to work in cooperation and partnership to address and improve the situation. 

• In cases of frequent late arrival at school (10 minutes after the register has closed) with 10 or more avoidable late marks occurring over a period of 10 school weeks. The journey involved and particular issues such as adverse weather conditions and disruptions to transport will be taken into account as necessary.

• Where there is a combination of unauthorised absence and avoidable lateness amounting to 10 sessions or more over a period of 10 school weeks.

• Where parents/carers fail to ensure that their child is not in a public place during the first five days of exclusion from school without reasonable justification.

The school will refer pupils where there is cause for concern about unauthorised absence and/or lateness to the Attendance & Welfare Service. In most circumstances each liable parent/carer shall receive a formal warning of the possibility of a Penalty Notice being issued.

If following the issuing of the warning notice the pupil has further unauthorised absence or avoidable late marks, the parents/guardians of the pupil may each receive a Penalty Notice for £80 which must be paid within 21 days, or it will increase to £160 each which must be paid within a further 7 days. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will lead to prosecution in the Magistrates Court for the original non-attendance and a possible criminal conviction. 

In those specific circumstances related to:

• the taking of 10 sessions (5 days) or more of unauthorised leave/holidays in term time where it can be clearly demonstrated that the parent/carer understood that permission had not/would not be given. 

• where parents fail to ensure that their child is not in a public place during the first five days of exclusion from school without reasonable justification the pupil will be referred immediately to the Tower Hamlets Behaviour & Attendance Support Service for issue of the Penalty Notice.

The school and Tower Hamlets Behaviour & Attendance Support Service will be working closely together on this as it is essential that pupils attend regularly and punctually at school to obtain the full benefit of their education. Please therefore ensure that your child attends school regularly; prepared and on time. If you are experiencing any difficulties regarding your child's attendance or punctuality, please inform us, so that we  may work with you in assisting you in whatever ways possible.

A leaflet is copied at the end of this letter, giving more details about the Penalty Notice Scheme.

Thank you for your support and co-operation.

Kind regards.

Edith Philipsen

Headteacher- Stepney Park Primary School